7 smart and sassy crime fiction writers dish on writing and life.
It's The View. With bodies.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

"Oh, Kaye!" - Who Do You Love?

Who do we miss?

Thankfully, there are plenty enough books still out there that I haven't discovered yet, along with all the new books being released every day, that I'll never be lacking for new reading material.
But.
There are some series that have come to an end that I mourn.

One I mourned long (and loudly) was Margaret Maron's Sigrid Harald series. I'll be forever grateful to Margaret for having Sigrid and Deborah meet. What a treat to have two much loved characters meet and visit in one another's home settings. (see there, dreams do come true!).

Others I fear may not enjoy a similar comeback include - - -Reed Farrel Coleman's Moe Prager (one more Moe book to come, THE HOLLOW GIRL, out in early 2014 - Yay!!!)

and I often wonder what Archie and Nero Wolfe are up to. And, how things might be with Pierre Chambrun at the Hotel Beaumont. And what kinds of sandwiches Sgt. Edward Delaney has concocted during the last several years . . .

With so many wonderful books creating huge to-be-read mountains, I’m much more likely to be missing a series because it’s a long wait for the next book. [Right now I am counting the days until Julia’s “Through the Evil Days” is released --- it’s 121.] I don’t mind so much that some series have come to their inevitable end . . . after all, it’s been wonderful sharing their adventures, but there always seems to be a new series to follow . . . .

I miss Harry, Hermione and Ron. Okay I miss Snape too. And I'm very relieved that Three Pines will be open for murder again. Enough traipsing around the countryside and hanging out with monks! Spenser I wonder about. Is it really Spencer?

What a good question Kaye! I miss Deborah Donnelly's wedding planner mysteries. And also, Hallie's Dr. Peter Zak:). And John D. Macdonald. And Abigail Padgett. and Sujata Massey's half Japanese character.

And I really miss my own Dr. Rebecca Butterman (advice column mysteries, written as Roberta Isleib.)

It's interested that with ebooks so popular, a lot of authors are resucitating (sp) old series that would otherwise have dried up and blown away. It's all a matter of how much time we have in a day I suppose...

TFA misses Travis McGee, too, Roberta. Going back now, they aren't quite as good as he remembers, but he loved Travis' comebacks and comments, not to mention the big action finish MacDonald always provided. His work has always been a major inspiration.

I'm with you, Kaye. I miss Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. And, I miss Robert B. Parker's Spenser, not the new one. I miss Harry Potter and Hogwarts. But, I think the one I miss most of all is Dorothy Simpson's Luke Thanet.

I have great news for you. There is still one more book to come in Reed Farrel Coleman's outstanding (and award winning) Moe Prager series. THE HOLLOW GIRL will be out next year. I will then mourn the end of Moe and his many adventures as a ex-cop PI, but I am also grateful that the series was abundant and never flagged.

I urge all JR-ers to try Reed's work if you haven't before. And the most recent book (that you posted the cover for) ONION STREET is a good place to start as it goes back to Moe's beginning story. Otherwise start at the beginning and read them in order for maximum satisfaction. Thanks.

We've had more than a few series by Reds come to their ends. I get email all the time: Are there more Dr. Peter Zak novels anytime soon? (Answer: Don't hold your breath!) For me, moving on was all good.

I'll be teaching with Gillian Roberts in a few weeks at the Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference (Rhys will be there, too!) - an we're giving a workshop on crafting a series. Who knows, maybe I'll return energized and there will be a series in my future.

Reine, you will not be disappointed in the newest Three Pines story... finished it this morning at about 3 a.m. and then just lay awake thinking how beautiful the story was. Penny is transcendent! Finished Hank's incredibly suspenseful THE WRONG GIRL at 2 a.m. the day before. Thank heaven for vacation time and wonderful mysteries!

But I do miss D.R. Meredith's John Lloyd Branson & Lydia Fairchild series. I miss Marne Kellogg Davis' Lilly Bennett series. I miss pretty much everyone Charlaine Harris has decided to stop writing about, although I defend her right to do so! (sigh).

I think Travis, like Colonel Primrose and Harriet Vane, had to exist when he did... I would hate for him to have been "updated" into our world of more sophisticated weaponry and digital gadgets. I'm glad they remain, rather perfectly, there.

I miss the 87th Precinct and Matthew Hope. I miss everybody Lawrence Sanders wrote -- and the food! I must have gained a pound for every book -- whatever Archie or Edward X. was eating always sounded SO good!

I loved Sarah Shankman's books! And Joan Hess's Maggody series, along the same vein. Charlaine Harris's other series--Aurora Teagarden, Harper Connelly, and Lily Bard "Shakespeare". They were all more appealing to me than the Sookie books.

What about P.D. James's Inspector Dalgliesh series? I have not seen a new one in a long time. But Henry O is done? Sad, sad.

I just knew you guys would remind me of yet more series I'm missing!!!

Marne Kellogg Davis wrote another series, Kristi, only about five in the series - have you read any of those? I love that series! And yep, missing it. And oh boy, do I ever agree with you about the latest Louise Penny. I know I say this about each book, but I think "How the Light Gets In" is her best yet. Have not read Hank's The Wrong Girl yet . . .

Marjorie, I forgot Reed has one more Moe!! Yay! My "Moe Withdrawal" can now go on hold for a bit.

And Mrs. Polifax! How could I forget her - which brings to mind the Miss Melville series. Carol, I'm glad to meet another Sharon Wildwind fan. She's an incredibly talented writer, I think, whose work is sadly underrated and under-discovered.

I know I'm going to leave out some books if I try to list all the ones I miss. When an author I love decides to end a series I'm attached to, I feel like I must go into mourning! Some of you have already mentioned books I mourn for. It's even worse when the author dies because the characters die with them. I am eager to see what Tony Hillerman's daughter does with his series and what Blaize Clement's son does with hers. I am missing William Tappley and Philip Craig. Right after I started reading the Southern Sisters mysteries I found out that Anne George had died. I almost didn't bother to read the rest of the books in her series. If I discover a series author who is new to me when I'm at a library or bookstore, and I can tell that I would like the series, I won't read the books if I find out that the series has ended; it's too much like losing a loved one. I like to read series books, rather than stand-alones, because the characters I like DO continue.

ALL of you JRW authors who no longer write a particular series: I miss your characters sooo much! I like what you've done since but I will NEVER stop missing your former series.

Is Maggody over now? No!! And no more Amanda Pepper, no more Henrie O? No!!

Oh, that' so interesting! And where do the characters go when they're..resting? People always ask me about Charlie McNally (thank you so much!) and I bet she'll be back.

ANd , Yes, more Peter Wimsey..that would be lovely.

But I do thnk there's something to be said for moving on when the time is tight..I adored the Harry Potter's , but am satisfied with where it stopped. Brilliant of her to say--that's it. And not just do it for the money...

And yes, I've see a big resurgence in interest in Charlie McN because of ebooks--it's great! But there's a difference between "on hold" and "no possibility"--

I was once sitting at a dinner at Malice Domestic with Kate Stine and Brian Skupin from Mystery Scene Magazine, and Brian asked this very question, Kaye. What series do you wish there were more of? And I said there was a series set in the South, one I loved, but I couldn't think what it was. It had fabulous dialogue. And then, several minutes later, I remembered and said, laughing, "Oh, it was the TV show Designing Women."

Anyway, to answer with an actual book series, I miss Beth Saulnier's series about a newspaper reporter in upstate NY. I would have also said I missed Michael Kahn's Rachel Gold series, but a new one in that series just came out last month after a ten-year hiatus. Sometimes patience does pay off!

Yes, John D. MacDonald was one of my early favorites--I read them all. Would be interesting to go back now and see if they stand the test of time.

But this discussion got me thinking about another old favorite and rold model--Stephen White, who writes a series about a psychologist in Boulder CO. I surfed over to his website and learned that he's ending his series with his 20th novel next month. The good news is I missed the last one, so I'll have 2 to read. Here's his interesting article about the series, the ending, and his writing career in general: http://www.authorstephenwhite.com/Book_Collection/Line/Q-A/q-a.html

But oh boy - I do too miss DESIGNING WOMEN. A couple years ago, I treated myself to the first three or four seasons on DVD. It may be time for me to watch them again! And - there's a painting in my WHIMSEY that was prompted by the opening of season (oh, darn, I can't remember!) ??? - when all the women were dressed in white flowy dresses and big hats - remember? I loved that scene and it, obviously, stuck with me.

And, like Lucy, the discussion got me thinking about another series I miss. I have no idea if there might be another (Fingers Crossed!) or not. There 12 years between the second and third books. It's Michael Malone's Cuddy and Justin series - anyone know anything about it??

Hank, thinking about good stopping points, it looks as though Sue Grafton is getting closer to the end of her herculean task of writing a book for every letter of the alphabet. And her books are all worth reading, too, which is amazing. I bet she's looking forward to Z by now!

I also miss the Kat Kajinski's Kat Colorado series, as well as many mentioned here! Some others that I don't know if they stand up to the test of time but when I was an early teen I found Brett Halliday and the Michael Shayne mysteries, loved those books. Nero Wolff, of course, and Ellery Queen -- loved those books!

So many books already mentioned, so I'm segueing over to the telly. I am already missing LEWIS. It felt like loosing good friends. What will Lewis and Hathaway be doing in their screenless live? I miss Morse. I miss Dalziel and Pascoe.

Kate Ross's Julian Kestrel mysteries,and Arianna Franklin's Mistress of the Art of Death mysteries. Both series were cut short by the authors' untimely deaths. The Franklin series ended on quite a cliff hanger that will I suppose never be resolved.

I miss Sue Hubbard's Adirondack series with Sheriff Frank and crew. I also miss Roberta's Cassie Burdette golfer series and Hank's Charlie McNally.

I understand and accept all the business and creative reasons, but I also became emotionally attached to all those characters. (Who would be Charlie's next producer? What's Cassie's rank on the tour now? What's going to happen in Trout Run next?)

In my imagination, they're still out there, doing what they do, like Tony Soprano is still hosting cookouts and may even be a grandpa. Or House and Wilson are photobombing tourists at Mount Rushmore before racing away on their bikes.

Deb, you might miss Lewis, but tonight starts the new episodes of ENDEAVOUR on PBS! Hurrah for that. For anyone who didn't see last year's one episode, these are the adventures of the young Lewis just as he is learning his craft as a copper.

I miss Hillerman's world and Reginald Hill's world. I miss The Cat Who and Brother Cadfael. (There are imitators, but not the same.) There can be no more Sayers, that world is gone, but if we can have Holmes in a 21st century London, why not Peter's grandson? (And wouldn't Benedict Cumberbatch be a wonderful Peter Wimsey!)

I miss Arianna Franklin's Mistress of the Art of Death series. Sadly, with only four books in the series, Franklin passed away. The books are medieval mysteries featuring a female physician, Adelia, who was educated in Italy and then sent to England in the role of a forensics expert.

Rhonda, I understand exactly what you mean about being attached to characters. When the Cassie Burdette series was cut, I wrote an essay called CHARACTER ASSASSINATION. But it was so sad, no one would publish it:).

Yes to Susan Hubbard's Adirondack mysteries--I loved Frank Bennett.

And I desperately miss the characters on FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS. If you never got hooked on that TV show, go immediately to your netflix queue and load the first season. It IS NOT all about football!

Lucy/Roberta - I have got to catch the show FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS via DVD/stream/whatever. I read the book several times and was blown away by it. I donated my copy to a friend who was sending books to a unit in Afghanistan. She asked me if I really, really wanted to give it up. I felt it needed to go there. Usually, I can't bear to part with books I love, but this one wanted to go. #sendtheguyswiththenets :)

Is it okay for me to think Charlie McNally might be back? Please???Sometimes I'm afraid to get too attached to Jane and Jake! My paperback copy of The Other Woman arrived yesterday, and I intend to reread it before reading The Wrong Girl.

Roberta, I loved both of your earlier series. The Key West mysteries are delightful, too. I hope you will be giving them to us for a long time!

I wonder if we should have a virtual wake for all of our favorite series that have ended? Or at least for former series written by our JRW ladies? (My problem is I am very reluctant to call them "former" series. As long as the characters are still alive...somewhere.. I hold out hope that they will show up again in future books. Like Kaye, I have been very happy to see Sigrid Harald again.)

I'd almost forgotten how much I missed Iain Pears's Jonathan Argyll till a minute ago! I let the last books by Reginald Hill and Ed McBain sit on my night table for months and months - I just couldn't bear to say goodbye.

But I'm just about to start Hallie's Zak series for my book group - and now I'll have to them not to get too attached!

I also hope that there's a lost Ariana Franklin manuscript that might surface sometime. I miss Janet Neel's Francesca Wilson and John McLeish novels, a great combination of music, business, and policing. As long as I'm wishing, another Loretta Lawson novel by Joan Smith wouldn't go amiss.